1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a medical information recording apparatus that records an image that is obtained by a medical apparatus such as an endoscope.
2. Description of the Related Art
Endoscopes are already in widespread use in medical fields and the like. Medical images obtained by endoscopes are recorded on various kinds of media to record diagnoses and cases. In recent years, accompanying increases in the capacity of recording media, recording of moving images from endoscopes has been also being performed. For example, an apparatus has been disclosed that performs image recording processing in accordance with image processing. In some cases, such recording processing of medical images is digitized and the medical images are stored in a computer-readable file format.
In this connection, in medical institutions, a large number of modalities such as endoscopes, X-rays, and ultrasound diagnostic apparatuses and the like are combined and endoscopic images, ultrasound images, and X-ray images are recorded, and furthermore, a variety of images (hereunder, referred to as “medical images”) such as an image showing the state of a surgeon's hands and an image showing the situation within the room or the like are sometimes recorded. In this case, it is also possible to synthesize a plurality of medical images that are recorded to thereby record the images as a single medical image (for example, see Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open Publication No. 2009-039243). For example, during endoscopic treatment, in a case where an endoscopic image and an image showing the state of a surgeon's hands are simultaneously recorded as a synthesized image in synchrony with each other, the synthesized image is extremely useful as educational material for young doctors since it is possible to ascertain at a single glance a method by which the endoscope is caused to approach a lesioned part to accurately capture an image thereof as well as the appearance of the actual endoscopic image.
A recording apparatus has a plurality of input connectors, and can obtain a required synthesized image during recording by connecting the required modalities to the respective connectors. However, in comparatively small-scale hospitals and the like, in many cases a recording apparatus or the like is moved frequently, and there are also many cases where it is necessary to connect the respective modalities and the recording apparatus before recording. In addition, to record a synthesized image it is necessary to specify the connectors to which the images to be synthesized are to be inputted and to also perform setting operations for generating a synthesized image. Consequently, relatively complicated operations must be performed in order to record a synthesized image of medical images.
In this connection, depending on the contents of the medical action, it is conceivable that not only the kinds of medical images to be recorded will be different, but also that the kinds of medical images to be recorded may differ during the course of the medical action. For example, it is conceivable that a case may arise in which one medical image among medical images from two modalities is recorded for the entire duration of the medical action, while the other medical image among the medical images from the two modalities is recorded during only part of the duration of the medical action or the like. More specifically, in some cases recording of an endoscopic image that captures an image of a surface layer of a lesioned part continues at all times, while an ultrasound image from an ultrasound diagnostic apparatus that is temporarily used for diagnosing the invasion depth of the lesioned part is only recorded at that particular time.